About Design Thinking
You may not be reading the term Design Thinking for the first time: Design Thinking was omnipresent for a while; many media reported about it, just too inflationary.
There was talk of customer-centric design and great innovation. Developed at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, used by startups next door that will soon be worth millions.
But what is really on it? And why should you be concerned with it right now?
Design Thinking: A proven method.
Design thinking is a proven method for shaping innovation rather than leaving it to chance. From a practical point of view, it is characterized by the following features:
- Design Thinking is a structured approach that leads to sustainable innovation over time.
- Design Thinking is a proven method to design and optimize business models and ecosystems, products, services, and processes
- Diversified teams develop a shared vision for the concerns of desired customers and use the diversity of their perspectives to address them
- Design Thinking follows a proven process, relies on stimulating facilitation techniques, and leverages the strengths of team members
- Design Thinking supports continuous adaptation and innovation - and therefore goes hand in hand with agile methods
Design thinking is not a new invention. My assessment, however, is that it will experience a renaissance due to current challenges.
Design Thinking as an answer to current challenges
Currently, even proven business models are coming under pressure and need to be adapted or renewed.
One driver is digitization, which favors organizations that exploit the potential of new technologies and new ways of working at an early stage.
The pandemic has further accelerated digitization. But that’s not all: “New normalities” have changed customer behavior, and this may continue to have an impact for a long time to come.
The specifics of Design Thinking start precisely here and allow companies to master the aforementioned challenges in a sustainable manner.
Using Design Thinking, you establish innovation in companies and you shape the digital transformation.
Agile instead of haphazard
Design thinking can be understood as an agile method. This goes hand in hand with considerable flexibility, which, however, is not to be equated with a lack of planning.
Depending on the issue to be addressed and the time frame, it can be decided whether it is a one-off project or whether Design Thinking should be implemented in the company on a sustainable basis.
Anchoring Design Thinking in the company
The possible applications of Design Thinking are not limited to merely clarifying a current issue. The methodology can also be permanently embedded in the organization. This enables companies to produce innovation on an ongoing basis – innovation is then not a one-off effect.
For such a project, it is advisable to plan and implement your own project (keyword: Change Management.) I will be happy to advise you advise this.
